J. Edward Hall

James Edward Hall (August 22, 1851 – May 3, 1889) was a socialist trade union organizer and politician. He is best remembered as one of the organizers of the New York Central Labor Union and one of the first American socialists nominated for high political office, heading the New York state ticket of the Socialist Labor Party of America as its candidate for Governor in 1888.

Biography

Early years J. Edward Hall was born August 22, 1851, in Glen Cove which was then a village in Queens County, and is now a city in Nassau County on Long Island. He attended the common schools, and became a machinist by trade.

Hall helped to organized the national trade district of the Machinery Constructors union and was the secretary of that organization through 1888. He was also one of the organizers of the Central Labor Union of New York in 1882. Although too ill to attend its inaugural meeting, held Sunday, April 7, 1889, "a vote of thanks...for his untiring efforts in behalf of Nationalism," was passed by the meeting and an organization of more than 100 members immediately emerged.

Footnotes

Works The Place of Individualism in the Socialist System. New York: New York Labor News Co., 1888. "Standard Sophistries," Workmen's Advocate [New York], November 17, 1888. "The 'Press' Parrot," Workmen's Advocate [New York], November 17, 1888.